The invention relates to an armrest subassembly for a motor vehicle, which is designed and provided for arrangement on the interior side of a motor vehicle body.
An armrest subassembly of this type comprises an armrest which has an arm support for supporting the forearm of a motor vehicle occupant; an adjusting device with which the position of the armrest can be set along an adjustment path in order to change the armrest position and therefore also the position of the arm support and, by this means, to be able to adapt it to the requirements of vehicle occupants differing in size (comfort adjustment); a locking device with which the armrest can be locked in a previously set armrest position; and armrest-side locking means of the locking device, which can be brought into engagement with an associated body-side locking mechanism, i.e. with body-side locking means to lock the armrest and which can be disengaged from the body-side locking mechanism to unlock the armrest to re-set the armrest position. In this case, the body-side locking mechanism refers to any desired suitable body-side locking means which can be brought into engagement with and can be disengaged from the armrest-side locking means.
The adjustment path of the comfort adjustment, which defines the adjustment direction along which the armrest position can be changed by a movement of the armrest along the adjustment path, usually runs—with reference to the armrest subassembly when installed in a motor vehicle—essentially along the vertical vehicle axis, which corresponds to the possibility of undertaking a “height setting” of the armrest. However, a curved adjustment path may also be provided, with the result that the local adjustment direction changes along the adjustment path.
An armrest subassembly of this type is typically arranged on the interior side of a lateral motor vehicle body, next to a motor vehicle seat situated in the vehicle interior, in order to provide a person on the corresponding seat with the possibility of supporting himself on the armrest, more precisely on the arm support thereof. Armrest subassemblies of this type are frequently arranged on the inside of a motor vehicle door, the armrest as such being situated in front of the surface of the inside door lining which faces the vehicle interior and its arm support protruding from the inside door lining toward the vehicle interior. However, an armrest of this type can also be installed at other locations on the inside of the body of a motor vehicle, for example, on a rear side wall of a two-door motor vehicle or on a central console. By contrast, the present case does not include arms which are attached directly to a vehicle seat itself in the form of seat backs.
To unlock the armrest in order to be able to undertake a re-setting of the armrest support, it is known to provide an actuating element on the armrest, with which the locking device assigned to the armrest can be unlocked.